1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tire having a radial carcass reinforcement, which is intended to be fitted on heavy vehicles such as lorries, buses, tractors, trailers etc., and relates more particularly to the crown reinforcement of such a tire.
Generally, the radial carcass reinforcement of the tire in question, which is formed of inextensible reinforcement elements made of metal or of aromatic polyamide, is surmounted radially by a crown reinforcement comprising a plurality of crown plies; in particular a triangulation ply formed of metallic elements which are oriented relative to the circumferential direction by a large angle of between 45° and 90°, said triangulation ply in turn being surmounted by two working plies formed of inextensible metallic reinforcement elements which are parallel to each other within each ply and are crossed from one ply to the next, forming angles of between 10° and 45° with the circumferential direction. Said working plies, which form the working reinforcement, may also be covered by at least one so-called protective ply, formed of generally metallic, extensible reinforcement elements, which are referred to as elastic elements.
Cables are said to be inextensible when said cables have a relative elongation at most equal to 0.2% under a tensile force equal to 10% of the breaking load.
Cables are said to be elastic when said cables have a relative elongation at least equal to 4% under a tensile force equal to the breaking load.
The circumferential direction of the tire, or longitudinal direction, is the direction corresponding to the periphery of the tire and defined by the direction of rolling of the tire.
The transverse or axial direction of the tire is parallel to the axis of rotation of the tire.
The radial direction is a direction intersecting and perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the tire.
The axis of rotation of the tire is the axis around which it rotates in normal use.
A radial or meridian plane is a plane containing the axis of rotation of the tire.
2. Description of the Related Art
The circumferential median plane, or equatorial plane, is a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the tire and which divides the tire into two halves.